The Symposium was held at the JW Marriott in Houston Texas. The personalities discussed were Sam Houston, Santa Anna, Sidney Sherman......., Juan Seguin and the Tejano Company at San Jacinto. Our mission was to be in attendance and in support of the person we considered the "Principal Speaker", Dr. J. Frank de la Teja, Professor of History Southwest Texas State University, who spoke on a "Texas Born Hero" Juan Nepomuceno Seguin.
The other distinguished speakers and interesting personalities were:
Dr. de la Teja did an excellent job, not only in presenting pertinent and historical information on Juan, but also on Juan's father Erasmo, his grand father Santiago, his great grand father Bartolome and great grandparent Pedro Ocon y Trillo who was a soldier in the 1720's in San Fernando de Bejar, (San Antonio).
Much information was imparted to the audience who set so attentively absorbing the information that was so carefully written and skillfully presented. The Dr. was not only making a presentation articulating and emphasizing the handful of information, but was entertaining as well and not self absorbed, he was comfortable in his talk and was unbiased in presenting the facts that surround the life of Juan Nepomuceno Seguin.
We walked away amazed as to how involved this one family was in so many facets of the local government throughout the years. All of the above mention Seguin men served in one capacity or another in the Spanish Colonial Government then served Tejas after Mexico seized power and then Juan Seguin continues his career thru The Republic Texas becoming part of the United States and then the Confederacy and then back to being part of the U.S.
Erasmo Seguin, Juan's father, evidently was very influential in Texas and in Mexico. He was the Post Master of San Antonio and also served as Alcalde. Listening to the Good Dr., We learned that Don Erasmo Seguin represented Texas when the 1824 Federal Constitution was drafted at the Constitutional Congress. Don Erasmo served the Spanish, Mexican and Texas Governments throughout his life and lived out the rest of his life at his ranch "Casa Blanca". He was eventually laid to rest there near the San Antonio River in present day Floresville.
There was an abundance of information to be digested. To my knowledge this was a first, and pray not the last time, that a Native Born Hero has been included in a symposium identifying and acknowledging him, Juan Seguin, as an equal to our other popular and esteemed Texas heroes in his service to Texas, before, during and after Texas won its' independence.
Jim Haley, Prof. of History, The Victoria College, on Sam Houston;
Dr. Josefina Vazquez, Prof of History, El Colegio de Mexico, on Santa Anna;
Gerad Kendall, San Jacinto Chptr. Sons of the Republice of Texas, on Sidney Sherman;
J.P. Bryan, Past President Texas State Historical Association.
A Defender of the Alamo and Hero at San Jacinto